The Demon
by Lag Janson
Summary: Strange things are on the move in Nerima. It's little surprise Ranma is at the center of it.
1. Default Chapter

Yurika stood before her master with relative calm, despite her wavering doubts that remained hidden deep inside. It was hard to remain at ease when standing within his throne room. The towering chair of power had its own set of stairs that led up to its frightening frame. It looked as though some twisted carpenter had fashioned it from the ribs of a very large creature. The large white boney potrusions pointed skyward in a very threatening manor.  
  
This was not why Yurika was uneasy, but it didn't help. The truth was that she feared her unforgiving master who sat on this throne and glared down upon her with his cold black filled eyes. She despised the corrupted little man and his obsessions. She knew not how he had gained his dark powers but she respected those powers far more than she respected the man. He had been a cruel taskmaster, but his shared secrets had made her what she was today.  
  
"Yuri, I have something special for you," he told her, his deep voice booming even in this enormous throne room. Her feline ears twitched at the volume of his voice. With her sensitive hearing his words actually brought pain. An impressive feat for a man who stood at best three feet, in his high platform boots. Yurika bowed ever so slightly to him before trying to meet his gaze again. She found she couldn't bare looking into those dead eyes with her own so she settled on staring at his gold trimmed armor.  
  
"Yes, Master Hasi," she answered weakly by comparison.  
  
"There is an old friend of mine staying at the Tendo dojo in Tokyo. We've made a arrangements long ago that would forever bind our two schools together."  
  
Yurika just stared at her master's feet, trying to understand where he was going with this. She worried about any friend of her master. At least there was one bright point, this friend couldn't possibly be as bad as the master.  
  
"You look worried, Yuri. All you must do is deliver this letter to the Tendo dojo," Hasi told her while revealing said letter. Yurika looked at the sealed scroll in his hand curiously. "Things will become obvious to you then."  
  
"If you say so, Master." Hasi tossed the scroll forward through the air as if it were a weapon and Yurika snatched it up just as quick. She stood and bowed once to her master before turning to leave. Yurika wasn't sure what made her believe that there was anything to darken her mission. It was just something deep inside her whispering 'it won't be as easy as this.'  
  
"Oh, there's just one more thing, Yuri dear," Hasi told her before she had two strides distance added between them. The sudden life in his voice was enough to bring new levels of uneasiness to the young red haired girl. She paused and waited to hear what he had to say, anticipating the the catch to this seemingly easy task.  
  
And she was right, Hasi told her of the catch.  
  
Silence.   
  
Yurika's delayed cry echoed for miles.  
  
  
  
  
RANMA 1/2 - The Demon  
Chapter 1  
Lag Janson  
s_starchaser@hotmail.com  
  
Disclaimer: All Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahasi. By including new characters I understand I also forfeit the rights to them for sake of the story. This is a parody and should not be considered an official story by any means.  
  
Please feel free to email questions, comments and even flames to my hotmail account. Flames merely fuel the fires of my other projects.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Ranma, you pervert!"  
  
Ka-pow!  
  
It was like any other day in Nerima. The fact that this was Nerima, and that it was like any other day, meant that something horribly odd was about to happen. Something so strange that would cause most human beings to go mad. This being Nerima, the residents were either shell shocked or already mad. The latter being more fun. It meant you could write poetry, or run in public threatening people with pineapples.  
  
Strangely, there wasn't anything truly odd about the day. In fact, the only difference was that nothing strange had happened at all. A new comer to the frightening Nerima district was actually walking around the streets looking rather bored. She had short red hair, the colour of fire. Her blue eyes gazed upon the buildings without interest. Her modest chest size being some what smaller than average hardly filled out the blouse of her school uniform. The fact she wore the blue high school uniform was only odd because it was a Saturday morning. Yes, she appeared quite normal for a 16 year old girl growing up in Nerima.  
  
At the Tendo household, where one would expect this new yet small oddity would have the greatest effect, breakfast was just being cleared from the table. Everybody stood, except for Ranma who was still laying where Akane had hammered him into the floor, and left the room silently so as not to wake him.  
  
He was fully conscious now, but lay there brooding. If there was something that truly bothered him about that uncute tomboy, it was the way she jumped to conclusions. Usually wrong and about him. There had to be some way of proving her wrong. Some way he could show her that he wasn't the perverted jerk she seemed to take him for. It wasn't his fault he had so many fiances, after all.  
  
"Ranma, m'boy! Why so glum?" Happossai questioned as the little troll bounded in from his hiding place. It was his fault that Ranma had suffered Akane's wrath this morning. The younger martial artist glared at the elder one as Happossai revealed some lace garments. "Would you try these on for an old man?"  
  
"I'm goin'a kill you, you wrinkled old pervert," a very hostile sounding Ranma growled. The younger martial artist pulled himself from the broken floor with slow deliberate movements carrying him towards the elder master.  
  
Happossai opened his mouth to respond before quickly thinking better of it. Ranma was showing signs that he wanted to inflict serious harm. Ranma had also defeated the great Saffron. Thus, Happossai slowly reasoned in a rare moment of brilliance, Ranma could very likely inflict serious harm on him.  
  
"Now, Ranma," Happossai said as he backed off a stride. "You wouldn't hurt an old man like me, would you? All I wanted was so simple pleasures in my last days." Happossai sniffed twice and pretended to fight back tears.  
  
"Nah, I couldn't possibly hurt you," Ranma answered as he stretched the tightened tendons in his neck with a loud pop. The rare moment of brilliance had past, however, as Happossai missed the mocking tone in Ranma's voice.  
  
"Gack!" Happossai yelped as he realized that perhaps Ranma wasn't about to let this go quite so easily. Now being held by the neck above the floor the old pervert began to desperately think of a way to escape. Ranma simply carried him outside. Then, with the power of his controlled rage, Ranma punted Happy into orbit. It would take Happossai a good two weeks to make his way back, if Ranma had calculated the angle and velocity right.  
  
Breathing heavily as he released his remaining unspent anger, Ranma growled out a curse or two directed at the old pervert. There were few things in this world he disliked more than wrinkled master of Anything Goes.  
  
"Oh my!" Ranma's anger was forgotten in a flash as Kasumi's worried tone reached him from the entrance. "You're looking for your fiancee?"  
  
Ranma froze only for a moment before deciding his best choice of action was to hide. He hoped nobody would check the roof for a few hours and was abruptly gone. At least from the roof he could judge the damage without becoming damaged himself.  
  
  
  
It's amazing how one word would draw in the attention of every living being within the walls of the Tendo household. Fiancee commonly had that affect here, however Yurika at the moment had no way of knowing that. In fact, she was more off balanced now than she had prepared to be. Under the watchful stares of two older men and three girls, some of the stares quite hostile, Yurika could actually feel her composure melt.  
  
"Uh, h-here," she offered up the sealed scroll shakily. A wise move on her part, she felt, since her voice already degraded beyond usefulness.  
  
The scroll was snatched up by the older men who broke the seal and began to read it together in silence. One of the girls seemed to lighten up slightly, seemingly more interested in the scroll but the youngest still remained very hostile.  
  
"Oh dear," the eldest girl spoke with an almost sad quality in her voice. "Please come inside. Would you like some tea, perhaps?"  
  
"I uh, n-no thank you," Yurika said in return, bowing slightly. "Sorry about this."  
  
To herself, Yurika kept wondering how somebody introduced themselves and an arranged marriage to a home filled with total strangers. She knew she must have been doing it wrong, but she felt powerless to stop it. Worse was knowing that she was different from everybody else. Differences scared people.  
  
The two men seemed to worry over the contents of the scroll and frequently sent each other concerned looks.  
  
"Is this your doing, Genma?" the thinner one asked uneasily as they finished reading it.  
  
"I swear I've never seen this document before in my life," Genma answered with amazement and concern. "You know, it never actually states Ranma's name, Tendo."  
  
Yurika became nervous as the two men met eyes and burst into smiles. "Our schools will be united!" the two men yelled out excitedly, with such enthusiasm it nearly knocked those in the room over.  
  
"Won't you stay for tea, miss?" the one identified as Tendo asked Yurika. She reluctantly nodded at the invitation and watched as one of the elder girls snagged away the letter and began to read it for herself.  
  
"And what would your name be?" the same man asked quite happily now, as if the tension that had so filled the room now seemed imagined.  
  
"Yurika Hasi, Tendo-san." She tried to make herself appear as calm as possible, now that the bad start was behind them. "The master named me shortly after I began my training."  
  
Both men seemed to give pause and considered her answer. That gave the girl with the letter more than enough time to enter the conversation herself.  
  
"You know, this letter is addressed to Happossai. I really think you should take this more seriously."  
  
"Oh Nabiki, I am sure that it's nothing," Tendo answered as he laughed to himself, is nervousness returning ever so slightly. "We'll just ask him."  
  
Tendo returned his attention to Yurika and smiled again, hiding his true feelings beneath the false smile. The introductions passed quickly, and most of the ill feelings seemed to have passed, the exceptions being the two youngest daughters, Nabiki and Akane. When Akane did suddenly lighten up it did so with such speed that Yurika hadn't noticed.  
  
"Let me get this straight," she said with disbelief clear on her face. "You're not here to marry Ranma?"  
  
Yurika shrugged, the most accurate answer she could honestly give. "I don't know who Ranma is," she said afterwards. It seemed to be the answer Akane had been looking for, however. She smiled ever so lightly with a strange glint in her eyes.  
  
"I'm a martial artist too, you know. Would you like to spar out back?"  
  
"I would love to spar with a student of the Anything Goes style," Yurika answered with a grin that spread across her face instantly. Fighting, unlike socializing, was natural to her. It seemed likewise the case for Akane as she too grinned. Perhaps this trip wasn't going to be as bad as she had previously feared.  
  
  
  
Ranma remained on the rooftop, laying in the sun and listening for the yells he knew would come. He was surprised he hadn't heard Akane scream out his name in anger yet. She must have been showing more restraint than usual.  
  
"Can we spar outside?" a girl's voice asked from down below. Ranma didn't know the voice and immediately assumed this was the intended fiancee sent to find him.  
  
"Outside?" Akane's voice answered in response.  
  
"Yes, well... It's such a nice morning and I don't get to see the outdoors much."  
  
Ranma felt the sensation of dread sink to the pit of his stomach as he figured out where this was leading. Akane had challenged the new girl. With Akane's luck the girl would mop the floor with her. Ranma quietly crawled forward on the roof to watch for signs of hostility.  
  
"I guess it's okay then," Akane reluctantly agreed. The new girl seemed harmless enough, she carried herself with a calm and relaxed demeaner that seemed natural on her. The red head took up an aggressive looking stance that put Akane's to shame, but there were differences. While Akane's focused on allowing greater strength in her blows, the red head seemed to favor mobility. The new girl also seemed relaxed while Akane immediately tensed in ancipation.  
  
Not good.  
  
"Aw, Akane," Ranma interrupted as he stood up and revealed himself to the two girls. "You're only goin'a get yourself hurt." Sometimes, he thought, it was necessary to feel pain in order to protect somebody else. He prepared himself for a hurled mallet or other projectiles.  
  
"Go way, Ranma," Akane growled angrily without so much as looking at him.  
  
"Ignore him, Akane. Focus, or you will get hurt." The red head didn't look his way either, but her tone suggested that she had listened to what he had said. He saw how her posture changed ever so slightly, tensing the tiniest of amounts.  
  
Akane moved first, hardly a surprise, with a charge and a powerful punch that left herself wide open. Ranma nearly leapt in to save her, but the red head didn't take the opening. Instead she danced around the punch with speed neither he nor Akane had expected.  
  
Ranma frowned and decided to study her moves with a little more care. Akane on the other hand seemed to take insult and growled as she sent another fist at the girl, followed by a high kick that would have taken the head off her training dummy.  
  
Each time the red head moved clear at great speed. The way she moved didn't seem natural, however. She moved and changed directions with a fluid grace and agility as a ca.. ca.. small animal. Ranma frowned deeply at the thought.  
  
"Akane, tighten your defenses," the girl snapped almost irritably. "You're over extending yourself."  
  
Akane only growled and became angrier. "Hold still and fight me!" She fired off a wild punch and this time the red head didn't dodge. To Ranma the sequence was in slow motion as the girl grabbed Akane's arm and began to drop low. She was going to throw Akane, and with the force Akane had thrown into the punch she was going to land hard. The look on Akane's face told him that she now knew it now too.  
  
He was moving before he realized it, leaping off the roof straight towards the predicted spot of impact. He arrived not a moment too soon, Akane crashed ontop of him and they both collapsed to the ground. He groaned softly as she lay on top of his back.  
  
"Ranma, you pervert!" Akane yelped as she realized what had happened and prepared to mallet him. Ranma winced and prepared for an impact that never reached him.  
  
"What?" Akane gasped. Ranma opened his eyes to find the red head blocking the mallet, obviously straining herself to prevent the injury to him.  
  
"I, Yurika Hasi of the All's Fair school of martial arts, challenge you, Ranma Saotome." She twisted around, and disarmed Akane with a toss that sent the mallet splashing into the koi pond. "Loser will reveal one kai based move to the winner." She returned to face him, smiling widely. "That means, if any students of the Anything Goes school can defeat me I'll teach them."  
  
Ranma blinked at the girl, Yurika, in disbelief of what he had just heard. If she knew kai attacks that automatically placed her among the strongest martial artists he knew.  
  
Still, she wasn't as strong as he was, obviously since she had strained to block Akane's malleting. She couldn't be as fast or as good as he was. He was the best there was. To him it was an assured victory.  
  
"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane thumped him one and disappeared into the house. Somehow he had expected that. Leave it to Akane to get worked up when somebody else offered him a challenge and ignored her. Genma was the next to move, landing on the still dazed Ranma in a ready posture.  
  
"You mean to say you will teach any student?"  
  
"If you can match the bet," Yurika answered firmly. She moved her stretched out her arm and opened her palm, before quickly closing it again. In her hand appeared a five foot glowing blue pole which she then held like a staff.  
  
Genma trembled slightly, Ranma knew because he could feel it through the old man's feet, and backed away. "I uh, think you can handle her boy. Remember, this is for the honor of the school." With that said, Genma retreated to the safety of the back deck.  
  
"Thanks, pops," Ranma grumbled irritably as he stood up. He was just as amazed by what he saw Yurika doing. To control that much kai meant that she was more powerful than even his revised estimates.  
  
"To be fair," Yurika continued, giving him a wink that set warning bells off, "perhaps we shouldn't use ranged kai attacks. No Spirit Blade, Tora Jiten Kikku, Mouko Takabisha, Neko-ken, or anything else like that. Okay?"  
  
Ranma flinched as she mentioned the Neko-ken, but nodded slightly. If she wanted to hold back to just pure physical martial arts he wouldn't stop her. It would probably give him the advantage since she obviously knew some moves that he didn't. Yurika grinned and her glowing blue weapon faded away and was gone. Obviously she had used it merely to intimidate stupid oyaji, and it had worked wonders at said task.  
  
Ranma set himself into his stance and readied for her attack. She stood in her own and circled him slowly, like a predator studying prey. Trying to read his defenses and find openings. As much as he disliked fighting girls, the chance to learn more techniques was more temptation than he could bare. At least he knew enough shiatsu points to avoid hurting her. And then she would have to teach him that move she had just shown him.  
  
"Relax," Yurika said as she grinned at him. "This isn't a death duel here, it's only a fight."  
  
He blinked at her in confusion. She was smiling at him during a challenge? It wasn't an arrogant grin of confidence nor a faked smile to cover uneasiness, but a true grin of anticpated enjoyment. He enjoyed fighting too, but it had been ages since he fought somebody else who enjoyed it as the art that it was.  
  
"It's no fun if you're just going to glare at me," she told him as she stopped circling one way and began to move in the opposite direction. "Ready?"  
  
"I'm ready for anythin' you can do," Ranma answered as he let his confidence show in his voice. Yurika nodded and grinned back. This wasn't at all like how she had fought Akane. Her stance was still on mobility, but now she sat back defensively.  
  
"I certainly hope so," she answered. "There's no fun if there's no challenge." She moved forward fast, but not near the speed he knew she was capable. She feinted a kick and instead launched a pair of quick strikes with her open palms. The strength behind the blows were light, by any standards.  
  
Ranma crouched down to avoid the blows and jabbed upwards towards Yurika's midsection. He was surprised when she grabbed his arm and spun as she dropped low, her hips rising. He knew immediately there was little he could do to prevent the throw, but he could redirect and control it. After all, he was the greatest student of the Anything Goes style, aerial combat was his specialty.  
  
As his feet left the ground he turned in midair. When she released his arm he landed on his feet behind her and backed off. Certainly he had an apparent opening on her back, but she had already surprised him. And at the speed she turned he knew she would have surprised him again had he taken the opening.  
  
"Good balance," Yurika complimented him as she took to her stance and began to circle clockwise. "You're nearly as fast as I am. But you're holding back still."  
  
"Feh, you're not that fast," Ranma snapped back defensively.  
  
"You're taking this personally, aren't you?" Yurika stated as she stopped and stood straight. The look of confusion plain to see on her face.  
  
"What do ya expect?" Ranma asked back, not letting down his guard. "I'm goin'a win this and then you're goin'a teach me that kai attack."  
  
"Which, the Spirit Blade? Pfff!" Yurika blew it off and smiled before beginning to circle again. "You couldn't do that. Besides, I know such more useful things."  
  
"How do you know that I can't do it? You haven't even tried to teach it to me yet."  
  
"I know because it takes more than knowledge to do. The master taught me, but even he can't use it. But if that's what you want me to teach you," she shrugged and smiled again. "You still have to beat me."  
  
"That won't be so hard," Ranma answered. "I've beaten stronger opponents than you."  
  
"Tell me about them," she answered, moving in once more for the attack. She moved faster this time and Ranma was forced to block the blows. His retaliations were likewise blocked. They parted again, neither one of them breathing hard.  
  
"Good," she stated as she began to move counter-clockwise. "So, tell me about them. I'll lead off." She moved forward to attack again, this time feinting before going low. Ranma leaped over the leg sweep and tried to land a midair kick. She ducked beneath it and fired off a snap kick that nearly caught him, had he not blocked he would have been swimming in the koi pond.  
  
"The most powerful opponent I've faced so far was a lesser demon," Yurika stated as she backed away, not following up with another attack after her last kick. "Ugly thing that liked to fire off kai blasts. Took me forever to realize that anything I did to it healed in seconds."  
  
Again she moved to the attack and this time Ranma was able to block more successfully which allowed him to counterattack. No blows landed in this exchange either though.  
  
"Finally beat him by wearing him down, though we did destroy most of the master's home." Ranma wondered if this was her plan with him. To simply wear him down. She would be surprised if that's what she intended. He could out last her, he was certain of that. She wouldn't have anywhere near Ryouga's endurance.  
  
"Who was your most powerful opponent?"  
  
"Why?" Ranma asked cautiously as he watched her warily.  
  
"I'm only trying to get you to relax a bit. Besides, somebody with your strength had to have fought somebody."  
  
Ranma shrugged as he watched her circle him. If she wanted to trade stories he wasn't going to hold back. He had her beat in this department as well. "I've fought Saffron at Jusendo."  
  
"The Phoenix? Impressive," Yurika acknowledged. She lurched forward again, once more testing his defenses without success. Ranma tagged her shoulder with a single shiatsu point in his counterattacks. She backed off and rotated her arm carefully to test her mobility, but didn't seem at all interested in the damage done. "I heard Saffron was a real jerk."  
  
Ranma wasn't certain what to think of Yurika. She was testing his defenses, but without straining herself or leaving openings. She wasn't letting him see too much that would give away her style or give hints as to how to beat her. All the while she was trying to carry a conversation like she was enjoying it.  
  
"You like to stand back and study all of your opponents, don't you?" Yurika asked, her smile taking on that of understanding. "That's why you're not attacking. You're looking for holes. I suppose since you've fought Saffron, lasting this long with you finding just that one is a compliment."  
  
Again she confused him. While he tried to figure out what she was trying to do, she came in on the attack once more. This time she didn't back off when he countered and returned another series of attacks that peppered his defenses. He had to admit, though silently, that she was fast. Several times she nearly broke through.  
  
And then she really surprised him, catching his foot as he kicked and pivotting hard and fast. Ranma went over, through the air to land on his hands, before pushing himself back to his feet a moment later.  
  
Yurika was back to circling him by this point and grinning widely. "Nearly had you that time. You won't beat me like this. Stop holding yourself to pressure points."  
  
Ranma grimaced as he acknowledged the truth in her words. Certainly he was getting chances on her, but she was getting just as many on him. He wasn't used to somebody matching him so closely. Normally by now his opponent would get sloppy. If anything Yurika was getting sharper.  
  
"I'm only warming up," Ranma answered in a low growl.  
  
"Would you like me to stand back and let you finish then?" Her question in return nearly managed to get an emotional response from Ranma. He hadn't expected her to speak so calmly. She was still enjoying this without becoming arrogant.  
  
Ranma moved to the attack this time, but he found everytime he made an attack that Yurika managed a counter. It was frustrating. Not even Ryouga could manage to hold him back this long without getting hit.  
  
But he knew he was going to win. She hadn't attacked him with anything yet that he couldn't handle. And now he was going to really test her.  
  
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" he yelled as his arms accelerated to a blurring speed. Yurika held her ground and despite the surprise still managed to block a high percentage of the punches. High percentage didn't mean all and she did stumble back a stride after.  
  
Her grin widened as she rubbed her tender shoulders. "You held back from hitting me in the face, thank you," she said, breathing a bit harder now yet still remaining calm. "I suppose that meant you're warmed up, right?"  
  
"Ready to quit?" Ranma asked, knowing that she wasn't. He hadn't expected her to block much and did expect her to fall. Instead she was thanking him for not touching her face.  
  
"Um, the warm up?" she asked before standing straight. She closed her eyes and focused her kai. Ranma could feel her strength as her aura began to glow a stunningly bright blue. It changed shape around her, and Ranma's eyes grew wide.  
  
"Ca-ca-c-ca," he stammered as he saw the change that had taken place. Yurika now had two triangular catears jutting off her head, a tail and her eyes glowed blue as the sunlight reflected off them.  
  
"What's wrong, Ranma?" she asked, seemingly concerned for his uncertainty. Ranma didn't believe it though. He knew that she must be laughing at him. She could sense his fear, he was certain of it. She was a monster. A c-c-ca... one of those things.  
  
Ranma backed off several strides and took up an even more defensive stance against the monster. He didn't know why Akane had accepted this girl as a friend, but there was no way he was going to acknowlege her as a fiancee.  
  
"I thought you were warmed up," she stated with some confusion. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were afraid of me." Ranma nodded rapidly before realizing what he was admitting to and then just as quickly shook his head.  
  
"Nuh-uh, I ain't af-fraid of n-nothin'," he stammered as he backed away from her. "W-what are you?"  
  
"Some sort of cat demon," she answered, though sounding uncertain herself. "Never really figured out what. The master said that such things were trivial next to the art." She seemed thoughtful or a second and then looked rather disgusted. "Okay, the art and stealing panties, but I think we can ignore that second part."  
  
Ranma was too frightened to make a connection. Instead he backed up another stride, but with all the direction changes and his current confusion, he had lost track of where he actually stood. His next step took him directly into the koi pond.  
  
"Does that mean I win?"   
  
It was a female Ranma that surfaced, sputtering and coughing as she climbed back out of the pong. She glared at the demon and tried to force the fear out of her system. She knew she couldn't lose. She was the best.  
  
"Uh, Ranma?" Yurika asked, noticing the change. The red hair was rather hard to miss, as were Ranma's breasts, thankfully still tucked away within the red chinese shirt. "That, um, you Ranma?"  
  
Ranma stood up and resumed her defensive stance, focusing everything into victory. She tried to ignore the ears as best as she could. 'Not a real cat,' Ranma told herself repeatedly 'only a girl. Not a real cat, only a girl.'  
  
"I will not lose," Ranma declared angrily.  
  
Once again the two clashed, for the first time with Ranma the true aggressor. Ranma's kai filled moves allowed her to move at speeds beyond any normal human being, while Yurika's moves were faster for more obvious reasons. This time neither fighter backed off as they exchanged moves and counters at a furious rate. Only occassionally did a blow land, but more often than not it was Ranma landing the shots.  
  
The smile had fled from Yurika's face and now instead she showed intense concentration as she tried to meet Ranma blow for blow. Time had no meaning, the outside world did not exist, only the fight mattered.  
  
When the pair finally did part, both were breathing heavily and soaked with their own sweat, but both smiled again. Yurika with knowledge that she had found somebody that could teach her more. Ranma with knowlegdge that he was winning this single fight. Sparring with Yurika also promised to take him to the next level, one beyond what he could do with Ryouga.  
  
"Congratulations," Yurika huffed, having to pause a bit longer to regain her breath before finishing her sentence, "you win this round."  
  
"You givin' up?" Ranma panted back, finding himself amazed by her apparent surrender.  
  
"Well, we could fight until one of us is knocked unconscious, but it's hard to teach that way." Yurika straightened up and breathed in a single deep breath and held it for a ten count before smiling again.  
  
"You're ain't bad," Ranma admitted, grinning like an idiot. He had no doubt that she could give Ryouga a run for his money in a straight fight.  
  
"Ain't bad? I'll have you know I'm one of the best martial artists in the world," she grinned and bowed to him. He leapt back in surprise, half expecting another attack.  
  
"I will honor the terms of the challenge and teach you one technique. Next time maybe it will be you who teaches," she looked up at him and glowed blue once more, her catears and tail vanishing as the aura did.  
  
"Does that mean you'll teach me that spirit something technique?"  
  
Yurika frowned as she studied him. "Maybe, but first I want you to answer me honestly. What were you afraid of?"  
  
"I ain't afraid of nothin'," Ranma lied, a false smile covering his reaction.  
  
"Uh-huh," Yurika answered doubtfully. "I figure I'll find out anyway. I need a sparring partner until I find my fiancee. I just hope he'll show up soon."  
  
Ranma flinched at the 'f' word, but remained silent. He smiled again as relief washed through him. Yurika wasn't after him. She wasn't trying to kill him. She was interested in martial arts and approached his level. Three reasons why he hoped that Yurika would be around for at least a little while longer.  
  
  
  
Genma and Soun sat silently from where they had watched the fight. Neither one spoke yet they both had similiar thoughts. This mere girl had done something they had thought impossible. She had stood toe to toe with Ranma in a martial arts battle longer than any other had in the past.  
  
The letter they had read hung in their minds heavily as they watched the fight. They knew that whatever was coming would be beyond anything that they could handle. For the sake of their schools, the two fathers hoped that Ranma would be able to handle it alone.  
  
  
  
On the second floor of the Tendo home, the girl often known as the Ice Queen of Nerima, sat alone at her desk. A single piece of paper lay before her holding her attention like few others had.  
  
It was the letter that Yurika had brought with her. The very one that was addressed to Happossai. Certainly there was mention of an arranged marriage, the two strongest students to unite the schools, but that was like an afterthought. It was a single paragraph at the end of a full page letter. Almost not worth mentioning. The true purpose had a much more sinister tone.  
  
  
  
Happossai,  
  
I regretfully inform you that I have  
failed my part of the agreement. I have managed   
to train but one martial artist to the barest  
level we require. I myself have lost my endurance   
to age years ago. In order to properly meet the   
threat of the resurrected lord of chaos, I send   
her to you to complete the training with the   
greatest of your students.  
I am certain that not long after you  
receive this letter I will have passed on. Do  
not tell Yuri. For her kind she is still very  
young and easily swayed. If she believes I still  
live then it should be enough to keep her from  
the temptation the dark lord will offer. Yuri has  
become special to me, and if anything should happen  
to her I know I will not rest peacefully.  
As the strongest student I've trained since  
our planned rejoining of the schools I have at the  
very least met this smaller objective. Yuri should  
wed the strongest of your students. If there's any  
justice in this world, they will survive this and  
live to train others.  
I wish you luck in your upcoming fight,  
Happossai. I know you will need all that and more.  
  
Hasi 


	2. Chapter 2

Ranma 1/2 - Demon  
Chapter 2  
Lag Janson  
s_starchaser@hotmail.com  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. This a parody. For more details re-read Chapter 1 Disclaimer.  
  
Additional: I really never worked on a title and "The Demon" really doesn't work. I'm open to suggestions, though not really expecting any. If I had proof-readers this wouldn't have been an issue, nor would it have been had I not got back responses so quickly (thanks, by the way!)  
  
Also, though this isn't truly a crossover, some elements are consistent with Fred Parry's Gold Digger series. Originally they weren't planned to be so close, but as my planning continued I saw more advantages to ditching my own rules to take on his. So from this point on, to that extent you can consider this a cross between universes... only because the Diggers live in Atlanta and Ranma & Co. in Tokyo, you can easily guess that that sorta encounter isn't in the near future. At least, it's not planned.  
  
  
  
  
  
The dinner table was far from quiet that evening. Many proud words were spoken of Ranma and Akane's engagement. Hardly a surprise that it was Genma and Soun that spoke loudest and most often. Akane sat silently brooding, interrupted occasionally with an angry glare sent to either Ranma or Yurika. Ranma did his best to ignore the entire conversation and instead focused on the rapidly vanishing food. For the moment the two men hadn't actually said anything worth pounding them for. At their current rate however it would only be a matter of time before somebody got hurt. Yurika was silent and ate at a fast pace that was well within normal limits for human beings, and she looked thoroughly amazed at Ranma's speed.  
  
Nabiki wasn't eating. She pushed the food around on her plate with her chopsticks, but food was the furthest thing from her mind. Normally she would hold back the information and sell it to Ranma, but this time Nabiki had a bad feeling that things were going to turn sour. She had long ago learned to trust her instincts, especially when Ranma was involved.  
  
"Where's Happossai?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested in the real answer. She tried to ignore the nervous reactions Soun and Genma made. "It's not like him to pass up on a free meal."  
  
Yurika looked around curiously. That name she had heard once before, the name of her master's friend the letter had been addressed to. She too was curious when she would meet Happossai. When that happened she would discover who her fiancee was. Not that she liked the idea any, but if Happossai had trained somebody such as Ranma, perhaps there was hope that other prospects would be as promising.  
  
"Probably won't see him for a few weeks," Ranma answered between mouthfuls. His angry tone mixing well with arrogance and pride. Most of those at the table understood what that meant. Nabiki mentally cursed, but revealed little to give away her disappointment.  
  
"You may have just cost yourself big this time, Ranma." Nabiki had to force the smirk on her face. It didn't come as naturally as it should. Still, it drew the desired response. He stopped eating and eyed her suspiciously.  
  
"Information, Ranma. Five hundred yen," she told him while extending her hand across the table. He blinked at her. Everybody else stared at her. Nabiki didn't even flinch at the surprised looks.  
  
"I ain't buyin', Nabiki." Ranma's cold voice shocked her. She figured the smaller price tag would at least allow her some money out of the deal. With a sigh, she realized that there wasn't time for the usual ploys. She was spooked, but for the moment she was keeping that little bit of information to herself.  
  
"Then I recommend you start training." The dinner table became deathly quiet as everybody stared at her, including Ranma and the brooding Akane.  
  
"Why?" Ranma asked icily, though now the cracks in his armor had become apparent.  
  
"That letter was more than a simple wedding arrangement," Nabiki answered while sending a glare at her father and 'uncle.' Looks of concern and worry were sent in the direction of Nabiki and Yurika each. "Without Happossai I can't tell you exactly what it means, but there seems to be a reason why the old pervert taught any students. I'm not going to get into the specifics until I get some more answers, but I'm expecting a fight on the level of Jusendo."  
  
The uncomfortable silence that followed hovered over the table for the remainder of dinner. Ranma's appetite seemed to have dwindled and died and he sat staring at his plate silently. Akane excused herself without a word and vanished up the stairs. Nabiki frowned at the response but continued her plans, picking at her food only moderately more than she had before. This would require a trip to the Nekohaten, at the very least. That was a trip she seldom enjoyed.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma struggled to generate enough kai power, struggled enough that he was sweating from the exertion. The technique Yurika was teaching him required far more power with by far greater control than anything Ranma had ever tried. Even when he did everything right he couldn't generate the power necessary to form the Spirit Blade.  
  
"I told you, I don't think you can do it. If any human could, I would be surprised." Yurika's words weren't encouraging, but if she could manage then so would he.  
  
"Ranma, there are other attacks I can teach you. Some of them far more effective for combat than the Spirit Blade. How much weapons training have you received?"  
  
"Enough," Ranma grunted, still straining to produce the power. Truthfully he had received only basic weapons training. He had been taught that people who depended on weapons risked being disarmed, and without a weapon many were helpless to defend themselves. With this, however, that risk no longer existed. Having a weapon at some points could be handy, especially one created from pure kai. Ranma stopped straining and began panting for breath harder than he had after the sparring match. It annoyed him that Yurika could summon the Spirit Blade without even straining.  
  
"Listen, some techniques were never meant for humans. It's like the Neko-ken that way. Human's just don't have the--"  
  
Getting further words past her lips became a struggle as Ranma had suddenly moved in front of her and was staring in disbelief of what he had just heard. Had Ranma been thinking beyond martial arts, he may have noticed the blush darken her face. Instead his mind whirled around the neko-ken. She had mentioned it before, but he had thought she had known that he had the technique. From what she had said now, it was clear she didn't know.  
  
"You know the neko-ken?" he asked, alarmed at the implications. He wondered how she had managed to survive the training and still be able to treat it so lightly.  
  
"Well, yes," she answered him, seemingly disturbed by something in his face. "I am a cat, after all. Master Hasi taught me when I was about seven, I think."  
  
Remembering her non-human origins helped jam in the idea that perhaps her knowing the neko-ken was possible. It also reawakened his fear for her momentarily and he leapt backwards five feet.  
  
"S-sorry," he stammered sheepishly as he once again pushed the fear away by convincing himself to once more believe his eyes rather than his brain. Yurika was a simple red haired girl who studied martial arts. It wasn't all that hard to believe when he looked at her.  
  
"Wait, you're afraid of me, aren't you?" Then again, perhaps simple wasn't the proper description for her even then.  
  
"No way!" Ranma countered loudly, now believing that he wasn't afraid of her. "I ain't afraid!"  
  
Yurika merely looked at him before smiling. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Once again she transformed, but this time she didn't generate the aura nor did she stop with the ears. Very quickly she changed shape into a large golden coated cat, with dark spots, very large fangs and sharp powerful looking claws. By the time the change had completed Ranma was on the other side of the yard and pushing his back against the fence.  
  
Laughter erupted from Yurika even before she had transformed back into a human. She could barely remain standing by the time Ranma worked up the courage to move forward again.  
  
"That's not funny!" he yelled fiercely. He was ready to pound the smile off her face, girl or not. Running sounded like another viable alternative, though to run from Yurika was to admit that he was afraid of her.  
  
"Sorry Ranma, I wouldn't have done that if you had told me you were afraid of cats." Yurika didn't sound sorry, but she seemed like she was trying to stop laughing. Trying, and unfortunately for Ranma's pride and temper, had yet to succeed.  
  
"Damn it! It's not funny. That stupid panda tried to teach me the neko-ken."  
  
The laughing stopped. Yurika was by him in a flash and studying him very closely. She circled while examining every inch of him very carefully. Understandably, Ranma became nervous with her inspection.  
  
"Uh, what are you doing?" Ranma asked, fighting the instinct to flee. He was half expecting her to declare him her husband or fiancee. The other half expected her to suddenly strike out in an attempt to kill him.  
  
"I don't believe it. I can feel it! You've got more spiritual energy than any human I've ever met," she answered, closing her eyes now and focusing. Ranma looked at her in disbelief as she remained quiet, but her expression gradually darkened. Her eyes snapped open and her face wrinkled with disgust. "And it's useless to you if you're afraid of cats. Ranma, these techniques were never meant for somebody like you. Can you really use them?"  
  
"Well, uh, yeah," Ranma answered, suddenly made more nervous by the strange look she had developed in her eyes. Her proximity to him didn't help his composure any. "Sorta. But I don't have any control, or nothin'. I just kinda black out. Say, why are you lookin' me like that?"  
  
Yurika was actually leaning forward, looking deeply into his eyes. For somebody with Ranma's fiancee problems, this was less than a comforting moment, looking into the pools of crystal blue as they looked back at him. He nearly bolted as she opened her mouth to speak again.  
  
"You want to learn it?" she asked with a mischievous smile.  
  
"What?!" Ranma gasped a little worriedly, back peddling away from the girl.  
  
"The neko-ken. We take away your fear of cats and your brain lets loose the locks on the technique."  
  
Nervousness forgotten, Ranma thought about this. He didn't spend long thinking on it however. The very thought of removing one of his greatest fears and allowing him use of one of his greatest techniques was more than temptation enough.  
  
"You can do that?"  
  
"Well, I think so. I've never tried something like this before, but I have heard legends that some humans were able to learn a limited form of the technique. I never really believed them before now. If you really can do the neko-ken, maybe you can learn to use the Spirit Blade." She backed away and summoned her blue staff with the same basic movements she had used the first time. She didn't even seem to concentrate, which added to Ranma's frustration with the technique.  
  
"What am I forgetting?" she asked herself as she began a slow kata with the staff. It was obviously a basic one, which focused more on attacks than defense and blocks.  
  
"You already know how to focus your kai," she stated firmly, making two faster strikes that whistled through the air. She turned to face a new direction, ducked before leaping backwards, flipping to her hands and spiraling as she rebounded to her feet again. Ranma appraised the difficulty of the move and her execution carefully. It wasn't complex by his standards, her time spent in the air was very short and though he could tell that she didn't seem to have the same awareness in the air as he did, she seemed to know where the ground was naturally.  
  
The maneuver also gave him a flash of white from beneath her skirt, which made him look about for Akane and her mallet.  
  
"The master taught me the motions over a few weeks with subtle lessons, but the actual lesson took a couple of hours before I..." She stopped and slowly smiled, releasing her control on the staff and allowing it to fade.  
  
"What?" Ranma asked, seeing that she had come to some sort of conclusion.  
  
"I think maybe you're making my mistake. You're trying too hard. You have to be focused to channel that much energy, but you need to be relaxed. Otherwise you're only fighting yourself."  
  
Ranma wasn't going to argue with her. Instead he focused on his 'Soul of Ice' technique to calm himself. Yurika frowned however the moment he began.  
  
"It doesn't matter how at ease you put your mind and soul, Ranma. You need to physically relax your body. Kai travels with less resistance through a relaxed body. This is a technique that requires a high mastery of body, mind and soul."  
  
Ranma grimaced and tried to do as she had said. He closed his eyes and tried to find a focus to relax his body. Not being trained in any true form of meditation however was a shortcoming. He lived in a tense environment for two years with few really true opportunities to let himself go. Having to be always on guard had wound him up tighter than a spring.  
  
Gently a pair of small hands touched his back, near his shoulder blades. Immediately he let his firmly honed reflexes kick in. He leaped forward while flipping to face the threat. He was shocked to find Yurika standing there with her hands extended in a very non-threatening manor though she had a very unhappy look on her face. He had seen similar looks from each of his fiancees when he had done something unexpected and unwanted.  
  
"What were you goin'a do?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"I was going to give you a massage," she answered as she put her hands on her hips angrily.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well," she said to him darkly, "I could see you were having troubles so I was going to work some of the tension out. I thought you might appreciate the help of a friend, but if you're that touchy, maybe you should go see your fiancee for a while."  
  
Guiltily Ranma looked to the ground. It wasn't that he actually felt like he had done something wrong, but somehow Yurika's feelings had been hurt. It was unbelievable how easy it was for a girl to get the wrong idea.  
  
Though he wouldn't look up to face her, he could hear Yurika sigh sadly. "I'm sorry. Look, for the sake of learning, go ask Akane to help. I'll be out here when you finish."  
  
"But, I-" Ranma tried to protest, and maybe even tried to stammer out an apology for hurting her feelings but she sent an evil grin his way, one that only partly hid something more beneath it that he wasn't able to identify. It was a Nabiki-type grin, one that he learned to fear on the face of the middle Tendo daughter.  
  
"Get out of here," she said with some humor returning to her voice. "Go see Akane before I have to turn cat on you."  
  
Ranma gulped and nodded. That was one threat he didn't want to test. Only, this was sending him to certain pain. Akane would immediately get mad and mallet him into oblivion. This was not how he pictured being relaxed.  
  
However, this was for the sake of learning a new technique. As everybody knew, Ranma Saotome would do anything for martial arts. If that meant getting pounded by Akane, then that's what he would do. Ranma walked into the house and rehearsed what he would say to Akane carefully.  
  
  
  
  
The Nekohaten was closed, but still Nabiki stood by the main door with purpose. She hated to think what the amazons would do with the knowledge she was about to give them, but unfortunately she needed what they might be able to give her more. With a gentle knock she signalled her presence, and her wait was not long.  
  
"We're closed," an aged voice called from inside. Nabiki smirked despite knowing that the amazon couldn't see her.  
  
"I'm not here for ramen," she responded dryly.  
  
"Oh? I suppose you're not here just to visit Shampoo," Cologne's mischievous voice cackled softly as she chuckled to her ancient self. Nabiki waited only a moment longer before Cologne opened the door and allowed her access. "To what do I owe this pleasure then, child?"  
  
Nabiki sent a disappointed look to the amazon matriarch before pushing past and into the restaurant. "There are only two reasons I would come here, and we've already concluded that I'm not here for food." She found herself a chair and sat down slowly, her back to the door and the elder amazon.  
  
"I see," Cologne answered, her voice darkened slightly as she caught Nabiki's attempts to provoke her. She hopped over to the other side of the table with her cane and looked at the Tendo daughter carefully. "I take it Ranma has brought more trouble on himself?"  
  
"Aiyaa!" The shrill cry of excitement was followed by a loud crash in the kitchen and a startled yelp from Mousse. Amazon selective hearing at work. Shampoo bound into the restaurant with a brilliant smile that faded when she didn't see what she thought to be her husband. Nabiki grinned at her darkly and the amazon warrior scowled in response. "Where airen? What mercenary girl do here?"  
  
"I believe she was just about to tell us that," Cologne answered her granddaughter while narrowing her eyes at Nabiki. The Tendo daughter just smiled back knowingly.  
  
"I came here with other intentions, but if you want to know Ranma's involvement it will cost you." The amazons frowned but a sum was offered and accepted with alarming speed. Nabiki enjoyed the looks in their eyes when she accepted their first offer, a mere two thousand yen.  
  
"Ranma has another possible fiancee with quite the tale. She knows more kai attacks than he does and she is a master of the neko-ken." Nabiki's excitement and enjoyment doubled as she watched the amazons eyes widen with surprise. Shampoo began to growl angrily at the thought of yet another 'obstacle' between her and her trophy. Nabiki held her thoughts on that subject from showing. She would much rather avoid Shampoo's wrath today. Cologne recovered first, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.  
  
"If what you say is true then she would be a powerful warrior indeed." Nabiki merely nodded once in answer. "But as you say, this was not the purpose of your visit."  
  
"Happossai has a hand in her arrival, and since he's out of town at the moment I wondered if there was anything you would know on the subject."  
  
"Oh? Perhaps I can at that," Cologne answered and chuckled to herself again. "It will cost you, of course."  
  
"Of course," Nabiki answered confidently. "In payment I'll be sharing with you the same information I currently know on the subject. You could refuse and try to figure it out on your own, but there may not be time to discover every secret."  
  
Cologne's eyes again narrowed at her. "I see you've put some thought into this."  
  
Nabiki only nodded again in answer.  
  
"Very well then," Cologne relaxed, if only slightly, and regarded the girl before her carefully. Nabiki knew she had earned some respect from the amazon matriarch over time, but also plenty of dislike. It was more than mutual. "I will agree with your terms."  
  
Nabiki carefully described the letter that had arrived earlier that day, and was rewarded with plenty of surprises, and alarming tales. Hasi was not the martial artist that she had previously believed. The mere thought of it had reduced Cologne to a laughing fool.  
  
"Hasi was no master of martial arts," Cologne chuckled as she regained her composure. "He was a fair fighter but no match for the average amazon." Cologne's expression darkened as she thought back on the past. "He did know a great deal of kai and magic, however. He was a dark master of the demonic arts. A demon summoner. Happossai may have learned a number of special attacks from Hasi, but no, Hasi can't be the master of this young warrior. He's been dead sixty years, at least." She paused, frowning slightly.  
  
"It does make one wonder when a talented martial artist arrives claiming to be his student however," Cologne seemed to drift off into thought. Shampoo was still hung up on the idea that she had another obstacle and was muttering to herself about it. Nabiki frowned at her but set her mind to Cologne's line of thought.  
  
"I have reason to believe he is either dead now or will be dead within a few days," Nabiki said carefully. She wondered how old the man could be, considering Cologne's claimed age. The demonic stuff also surprised Nabiki, though not as much as it would have had she not seen Yurika transform earlier when she fought Ranma.  
  
"Extending ones life is no easy task, child. He didn't have the control necessary when I met him before, it's not possible for it to be him."  
  
"Unless Happossai taught him," Nabiki pointed out. Cologne's eyes narrowed and she nodded grimly.  
  
"I know Happossai is low, but I find it hard to believe that even he would train somebody so evil such a powerful technique. This girl, tell me about her."  
  
Nabiki swallowed and planned her words carefully. Cologne's words of description for Hasi were not how she pictured the man who had wrote the letter. She wasn't going to say everything, especially details such as Yurika's claim to be a demon herself, nor the proof that she had witness earlier today. It was better to have Yurika on their side. Akane was nearly killed when Ranma took on Saffron even with the help he had brought. Somebody else at Ranma's level would be greatly appreciated if this turned into another brawl.  
  
"She seems kind, if a little naive and gullible. She's nearly as tall as Ranma's male side, and perhaps more of a tomboy than Akane. Big into martial arts. When it comes down to it, you could describe her as a permanently female version of Ranma, only with a little more polite and a little more normal." Nabiki smiled slyly at the amazons as she slid over a photo and decided to add a bit of fun, "they're a perfect match, I think."  
  
Shampoo stopped her mindless pacing and glared at Nabiki's picture, while Cologne seemed to take the information nearly as hard. The photo was from earlier that morning after their initial match, but before Yurika had demonstrated her full transformation. Yurika was slim, with little body fat, so little in fact that it had obviously effected other areas in her body, such as her smaller than average bust. Her very attractive facial features marked her as a foreigner, not even oriental by birth, but her grasp of the language was remarkable. Then again, Hasi had raised her so there was a strong chance she knew nothing else but Japanese.  
  
"If all is as you say," Cologne grumped as she gazed at Nabiki, "then I fear she could be a threat to our claim."  
  
Nabiki sweated for a moment as she tried to think of a way to deflect at least some of their concern. Sometimes she forgot just how effectively she could manipulate people. "At the moment she believes Ranma is spoken for and is keeping her distance."  
  
"New girl best stay way from Shampoo's airen," Shampoo grumbled irritably.  
  
"Easy child," Cologne soothed her heir lightly. "If the letter is true then I suppose we will need her. The demons of legends were very powerful indeed and we will need all the allies we can find."  
  
Nabiki nodded in agreement, feeling slightly relieved that her own predictions were shared by the amazon matriarch.  
  
"I will require time to learn more of this demon lord the letter speaks of," Cologne spoke with a tired edge to her voice that led Nabiki to believe that the old woman knew more than she let on. "I will let you know what I find."  
  
"Thank you," Nabiki nodded and stood.  
  
"Be sure to let us know should something more develop between Ranma and this Yurika," Cologne's voice put Nabiki on guard. Somehow she knew the amazons were not going to let that sit. They would look into Yurika on their own, and for the sake of everyone, she hoped they would not realize the demon's badly kept secret.  
  
  
  
  
Yurika smiled wistfully as she lay basking in the dying sunlight. She had always loved the sun. She supposed it could be part of her feline nature, but she couldn't care less for reasons. She simply enjoyed the little pleasure for what it was. Even the rooftop reflected the sun's energy into the warmth of her body. It was the greatest feeling in the world.  
  
Tonight she wasn't going to allow herself to think of things like this arranged marriage or the threat that Nabiki had seemingly found within that letter. Yurika just wanted to relax. Later she would think of how she would correct Ranma's neko-ken training. That wouldn't be fun.  
  
"Ranma you PERVERT!"  
  
The following crashing sounds told Yurika that things weren't going well for Ranma. She sighed and shook her head. Akane was hopelessly jealous for her fiancee's attention. Ranma didn't come across as all that bright and trusting so it compounded his problems and made him appear more guilty. She hoped the two would work out their differences.  
  
Then again, he was rather cute. Yurika giggled and allowed herself a moment to pretend that he was her fiancee. It certainly wouldn't be a match made in heaven. Her being a confused demon and him being an incredibly strong, and cute, human. Though that curse of his would take a lot of getting used to. She didn't know if she could get used to such a thing.  
  
"Mind if I join you?"  
  
Yurika jumped guiltily at the sound of Ranma's voice. She hadn't expected him to come up here. She sat up to face a fairly depressed looking martial artist. He looked beaten, and not only physically.  
  
"It's more your roof than mine," she answered, motioning towards a spot beside her. "Akane still thinks I'm going to steal you away from her?"  
  
"Like I could care about what that tomboy thinks," Ranma grumbled as he sat down next to her. Yurika categorized his response in the 'I don't want to think about it right now' range. So much for having his fiancee relax him. That relationship certainly had serious issues to resolve.  
  
"Alright, take your shirt off and lie on your stomach," she ordered sternly. He looked at her in confusion and worry. Yurika grinned at his discomfort. Obviously he still hadn't a clue. "I'm doing this as a teacher helping a student. You get any strange ideas and I'll knock you clear to Okinawa, got that?"  
  
Ranma gulped and nodded. Reluctantly he did as he was told. She hid her reaction to seeing his chest as best as she could and instead tried to look busy concentrating on some mysterious hidden focus. It would hardly do to make him think she was trying to seduce him on his fiancee's roof.  
  
Once he had laid down she kneeled beside him and shook her head. He looked incredibly tense, she didn't know how he could even move. Slowly she started to press her fingers against the knots in his strong shoulders. She frowned as she realized just how tense he actually was. In fact, if she wasn't mistaken, he was becoming even more tense by the moment. That meant... Yurika stopped and removed her hands from his back as she frowned at the young man before her. He was expecting her to try something.  
  
"Um, Ranma, I know what you're thinking and you had better stop."  
  
"I ain't thinkin' about nothin'," Ranma answered almost believably. His choice of words certainly fit, but the underlying edge of fear and his body language told a completely different story.  
  
"Close your eyes, and think of something else," Yurika once more ordered as she again began to massage her temporary student. "Think about an open field of green grass."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Yurika blinked before lightly slapping Ranma across the top of the head. "Okay, think about doing kata, dummy. Just think about something you enjoy. It'll make this go easier." She pressed harder, trying to push some of the knots out. If she wasn't mistaken however, he had knots on top of knots. This couldn't be healthy. The master had always taught her that a healthy body was a relaxed one. She hadn't always enjoyed the sessions, but she did admit that she always felt physically better after one.  
  
Maybe this fiancee thing isn't working out, Yurika wondered as she worked. It was the only major point of stress she had so far picked up on. Nabiki didn't seem to like him all that much, judging by her actions at dinner, but he had hardly seemed to care. His father was another source of minor stress, but again, it sounded like Ranma expected it and dealt with it easily.   
  
It's not fair, she grumbled to herself as she continued to work. It annoyed her to no end that a guy this cute was suffering so much while she could have made him happy. She would have been anything he wanted her to be, just as long as he was hers.  
  
Unfortunately, her master had taught her the importance of honor and now it was holding her back. She would not break up any set engagement between two people, no matter how much she wanted to. Instead she would rather sit back and try to be the friend who Ranma could fall back on. At least, she hoped she could be that friend. First he had to realize that he could trust her.  
  
"Feeling better?" Her question came as she slid her hands down to his lower back. He nodded slowly into his shirt and made a contented sound which surprised Yurika. His nervousness had dissipated into the wind, as if melted by the remaining sunlight. Yurika smiled at the small victory.  
  
Now she had to make him trust her completely, and to do that she had to let him know she wasn't a threat to his relationship. Adding more positive feeling into her voice than she actually felt on the subject she asked, "How about you tell me about Akane, the good things. I've hardly seen her since this morning."  
  
Ranma was silent only for a moment, and his momentary reflex action of tensing held for even less. He slumped back into himself and sighed. "Akane. Akane's just a stubborn tomboy. Her cooking is more lethal than her fighting. Why would I want to marry her?" His protest carried powerful words but lacked much in strength. She hoped it wasn't because he was falling asleep.  
  
"I said the good things," Yurika reminded, giving him another playful swat across the head. At least it would wake him up if he were dozing off. He seemed to relax more and as she removed another knot from his back he made a soft content sound. It definitely sounded like her student was slowly failing in a fight to remain awake.  
  
"Her smile," he mumbled softly, and very content sounding. Yurika grinned and pressed into her work harder, moving down to his lower back once more. Ranma grunted softly as she pressed much harder than before. "And sometimes, not often mind ya, she can be the nicest girl I've ever met." His voice had gained a bit of strength now as he lost himself into the spirit of the moment.  
  
Yurika could feel the muscles ripple beneath her fingers as he shifted slightly to get more comfortable. Akane was so lucky, she thought with not just a little jealousy. "Why am I telling you this?" Ranma asked, unable to sound angry at this point.  
  
Yurika smiled and shifted back up to Ranma's shoulders again. "Because I asked," she answered gently. "How does this feel?" She shifted her hands and pressed outward with her palms.  
  
"Great," he murmured back, not completely able to hold in another happy 'hmm' sound. "Where'd ya learn to do this?"  
  
"The master. He believed a good massage could prolong your life." She didn't want to explain in further detail, mostly because it wouldn't help Ranma in his relaxation. The master was also a bit of a pervert and she occasionally had to pound him, but eventually she learned that there were places she could visit without fear of being touched wrong.  
  
As near as she could tell, that was the turning point in her training. As good as the master was, he had serious weaknesses that she could exploit. He drew power from women's undergarments, so she learned how to lure him into traps. Her being female only made it that much easier. Her tricks didn't always work, but they were the only way she knew to beat the wrinkled old fart. He simply remained too powerful for her in a straight fight. Oddly, he seemed more pleased when she won in recent times than any of his own victories.  
  
From thoughts of her own master came thoughts of Happossai. From what she had gathered so far, this Happossai person was as disliked by his students as she hated her master. He was feared by the older members of the family, despised by the younger. None seemed particularly upset with the fact Ranma had defeated him, though it did seem to be an inconvenience for Nabiki.  
  
What was her master thinking when he sent her here with that letter? What was in that letter that had everybody so worked up? Why, oh why, couldn't Ranma have been her fiancee?  
  
It was dark before Yurika realized she had gone off in a daydream. It didn't surprise her that her well-practiced hands had kept on their simple task, softly pressing Ranma's now relaxed form. She guessed she had only zoned out for ten or fifteen minutes, but in that time she had somehow lost Ranma. He was sleeping easily, though snoring loudly. She sighed happily and lay down next to him quietly. She'd wake him up soon, send him inside to sleep, but for the moment she just wanted to imagine a world where Ranma was hers. 


End file.
